Tuberville dismissed Franklin Wednesday. He spoke openly about the decision Thursday night on his weekly call-in radio show.

"I made a mistake, and I admit that," Tuberville said of his decision to hire Franklin last December. "It was my fault. Tony's a good person and a good guy. I don't want anything bad said about him."

Tuberville said he regretted that a change had to be made in midseason.

"I just hate it for (Franklin)," Tuberville said. "It's just a tough situation. It's a tough thing, especially in the middle of the season. I'm not that type of guy. But my first responsibility is to Auburn University. To make a decision like that is tough, but I can't shirk that responsibility. I will continue to make those decisions if we need to."

Tuberville said when Auburn beat Tennessee two weeks ago, it felt like a loss in the locker room. The feeling was even more ominous after the Vanderbilt loss last week.

"I looked in those kids' eyes, and we lost to that team; we shouldn't have lost it," Tuberville said.

Tuberville said he would not answer any questions from the audience or callers about his decision.

"Let's mind our own business, listen to Auburn people, stay close. Nothing ever happens good from worrying about anybody else but ourselves," he said. "I told our players that sometimes you have to make tough decisions in life. When they get out of school and have a family, they'll have to make those decisions. I'm still hurting from it. We'll all get over it and everybody will be better for it."